Drive by habits post-its for a better habit by learning from your missed writing caves and doing better next time. 

“Guilt is rooted in actions of the past, perpetuated by the lack of action in the present and delivered in the future as pain and suffering.” 

David Rappo

On a recent call with one of my book coaching clients I coined a new term – “drive-by habits.” At first glance, this might seem to go against most of what I talk and write about on the subject of habits. Setting a habit, after all, requires patience, practice, and long-term thinking. These would all appear to be the opposite of the idea of “drive by.”

Here’s what I mean…

When setting a writing habit to reach your book writing goals faster, don’t accidentally overcomplicate things. Don’t turn your habit setting process into a whole new elephant on your plate of things to do.

Imagine you’re trying to set a new habit and for whatever reason, you slip up. You have a writing cave scheduled on your calendar, you fully intend to work on your book during that time, and you have a plan.

But, for whatever reason, your writing cave doesn’t happen. I’m not talking about a priority life event (family, pet, work emergency, appliance or automotive crisis) intercepting your best writing intentions.

I’m talking about just not doing it. The writing cave doesn’t happen. Maybe your mind talks you out of it, or maybe you self sabotage and clean the house instead.

Do you figure – oh well, hopefully it works out next time? Or are you the introspective journaling type, and make a note to diagnose the root cause of your missed cave, later on, and at length?

This is where “drive-by habits” come in as a happy medium. Are you a fan of post-its as much as I am? In this situation, while the thoughts are still fresh and swirling in your head about your missed cave, grab a post-it and jot down some quick notes.

3 Drive By Habits Post-It Questions

*What thought led you to cancel your writing cave today?

*What emotion were you feeling when you made this decision?

*How can you make a different choice the next time you find yourself here?

There is valuable data to be gained in the moment and right afterward – clarity, perspective, knowledge. And time is of the essence because memory distortion is real. The more space you put between an event and your recollection of it, the more you’re creating the opportunity for your mind to forget some details and make up others.

Jot your post-it note in the moment, and as a nonjudgmental observer. Focus only on the facts and lessons. There’s no reason to feel guilty about something that happened in the past, even the recent past. Grab the insights, and move on. 

Scribble on your drive-by post-it and move on to your next cave – you’ve got this!

P.S. Did you know I have a daily podcast for authors about how to set writing habits so you can write and FINISH writing a great book? The most surreal part is that I’m closing in on episode #1300! It’s one of the most fun and fulfilling things I’ve done in the 19 year history of my business. If you’re an author trying to write a book and having trouble getting it done, Your Daily Writing habit is for you!